The Shetland Timeshttp://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk
Shetland News, Sport, Jobs, Properties, ShopFri, 09 Dec 2016 18:54:59 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1New Antares in Lerwick after crossing from Norwayhttp://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/09/new-antares-lerwick-crossing-norway
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 18:54:59 +0000http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/?p=1089861WATCH: The latest pelagic trawler for the Shetland fleet arrived in Lerwick this morning to carry on a proud tradition for the Irvine family of Whalsay.

Antares (LK 419) replaces her namesake, sold to Samherji of Iceland in the summer. She is 75m overall length, some 2m longer than her predecessor – which was lengthened in 2009 – and 2m beamier at 15m.

Lowrie Irvine in the skipper’s chair. Photo: Peter Johnson

She was built at Simek AS in Norway and final work undertaken at Kristiansund before she headed across the North Sea on Thursday, belting along at 14 knots.

Skipper Lowrie Irvine said that Antares will single boat trawl and was being rigged with nets and other equipment before heading out, hopefully on Monday, in order to make a landing before Shetland Catch shuts on Friday.

Mr Irvine and son Lawrence were well pleased with the performance and handling of the vessel, which left Norway in some towsy weather, and the finish given her in the shipyard.

Antares features the customary banks of flat screen radars, sonars and other equipment in her immaculately finished wheelhouse and all the comforts associated with modern pelagic vessels.

Mr Irvine said that she was a step up from the old Antares rather than a revolution and was quite similar other than slightly longer and 2m wider.

She features a Wärtsilämain engine, controllable pitch propeller and two-speed gearbox gearbox, intended to provide the vessel with high levels of operational efficiency and flexibility in different operating modes. She is powered by a 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 32 main engine.

]]>Candidate Tinkler steps down from Wir Shetland committeehttp://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/09/candidate-tinkler-steps-wir-shetland-committee
http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/09/candidate-tinkler-steps-wir-shetland-committee#commentsFri, 09 Dec 2016 11:09:19 +0000http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/?p=1089854Dentist Ian Tinkler, who is standing for election to Shetland Islands Council next year, has decided to temporarily stand down from the Wir Shetland management committee.

Wir Shetland believes that the Viking Energy project is of such a scale, that it should be subject to the approval of the whole Shetland population.

Mr Tinkler is a very strong opponent of the Viking project and felt that membership of the management committee limited his ability to speak as he wished on the subject.

He says his support for Wir Shetland is “absolute”.

Chairman James Titcomb said: “Likewise, the remaining Wir Shetland committee recognise Ian’s dedication to the cause of autonomy for Shetland and wish him all the best in his electoral campaign.”

Duncan Simpson and Alec Priest are both Wir Shetland members standing for election to the SIC, Mr Simpson being on the committee as membership secretary. Both remain members of Wir Shetland.

Core aims

Mr Titcomb said: “Although Ryan Thompson decided to withdraw his membership of Wir Shetland prior to announcing his candidateship, we understand that Ryan still believes in the core aims of Wir Shetland.

“The committee recognise Ryan’s commitment to obtaining the best deal for Shetland and wish him all the best in the upcoming election.

“Wir Shetland would encourage voters in the Northern Isles to pick Duncan, Alec and Ryan for the council in May.

“Wir Shetland understand there are more members considering announcing their intentions, and would encourage anyone with an interest in autonomy for Shetland and is able to do so to put themselves forward.”

Businesses in the town centre decorated their windows with a festive theme to encourage the public to vote for them before last Monday.

The public vote has now closed and Ninian’s windows were the definite favourite with 91 votes or 32 per cent of the 286 votes cast. The Shetland Soap Company was second with 70 votes and Westside Pine third with 64 votes.

Morwenna Work of Ninian said: “We’re really chuffed to have won this year. It makes all the effort worthwhile and we’d like to thank everyone for all their lovely comments on our display.”

Living Lerwick chairman Gary Bain said: “It’s great to see that the public are really taking part in the best town centre Christmas window display competition.

“This is only the second year we’ve done it. The number of votes received has more than doubled and the amount of effort that has clearly gone into some of the window displays this year is amazing. The standard is very high.”

The competition also had a prize for one voter picked via an online random number generator. Alan Doull won and will receive £25 vouchers from Cee & Jays and LHD Marine Supplies.

]]>http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/09/ninian-scoops-living-lerwicks-best-christmas-window-prize/feed0SIC infrastructure woes, whales on the loose and Staneyhill housinghttp://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/09/sic-infrastructure-woes-whales-loose-staneyhill-housing
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 08:00:39 +0000http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/?p=1089849• Council and Slap silent on what’s going on at White House

• Temporary measures planned for Toft fishing pier

• Whales sport and spout in front of onlookers

• Staneyhill scheme unearths problems in steet, wet site

• Council belt to tighten a few notches more

• Recollections of when Shetland was an armed camp

• Rowley clinch first divison netball title

]]>Disqualified man drove car off the road while over the limithttp://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/07/disqualified-man-drove-car-off-road-limit
Wed, 07 Dec 2016 20:20:21 +0000http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/?p=1089801A North Roe man who drove a car off the road while over the limit months after losing his licence has been banned from the road for five years.

Declan Harrison, 22, admitted driving on a road at North Roe Church with 184 milligrammes of alcohol in 100ml of blood on 3rd May.

This was above the legal limit of 50 milligrammes per 100ml.

Harrison also admitted driving while disqualified and without having insurance.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said the offence occurred in the early hours of the morning and police had been passed on reports of a disqualified driver on the road.

They found Harrison in the vehicle, which was wedged at the side of the road.

Harrison failed a roadside test and was arrested and taken to the police station.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client had had his difficulties and Asperger Syndrome was something Harrison struggled with.

Alcohol was part of his coping strategy, he said and at the time of the event Harrison was feeling particularly low, having become unemployed, as well as having living conditions he “endured”.

“He takes full responsibility for this and does feel remorse for this,” Mr Allan said.

He said there would be “real concerns” about how Harrison would cope in custody.

Sheriff Philip Mann said: “I’m really concerned about this because your disqualification was imposed in January this year.

“A very short time after that you have driven whilst disqualified. Again you have driven over the alcohol limit which was the reason for the disqualification in the first place.”

The offences were serious, he said because they affected the safety of the public.

After “anxious consideration” sheriff Mann said he decided against a custodial sentence.

He said he needed to be aware that Harrison had Asperger’s, though it was clear this was not to curry favour or for sympathy.

“Asperger’s does not mean that you make involuntary decisions,” sheriff Mann said.

“You still make conscious decisions and you know what is right and what is wrong and you choose particular courses of action.”

Harrison was also given an 18-month community payback order as well as a fine of £850.

]]>Row over drugs descended into violencehttp://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/07/row-drugs-descended-violence
Wed, 07 Dec 2016 19:44:56 +0000http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/?p=1089799A man from Scalloway must complete 150 hours of unpaid work after he kicked and punched another man in the head and body and then struggled with police officers.

He pleaded guilty to assaulting the man at an address in Lerwick’s St Magnus Street on 1st March before violently struggling with police at an address in the town’s Harbour Street.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said a number of different “intoxicants” were consumed. There had been an argument over the sourcing of drugs and things descended into violence.

Sutherland’s victim had bruising to the left side of his head and forehead, Mr MacKenzie said, but did not need medical attention.

Police attended the scene but Sutherland tried to escape through a kitchen window and there was a significant struggle with police.

Defence agent Gregor Kelly said Sutherland had struggled with heroin addiction and at the start of the year was in the throes of addiction when £80 of heroin was found in his possession on 3rd February.

He said there had been an argument over money and the other man was hitting Sutherland back.

His client had felt one of the officers was being “overzealous” though he “realises they were acting in the course of their duty”.

Sutherland had been clean of heroin for a number of months, Mr Kelly said.

Sheriff Philip Mann gave Sutherland another 35 hours of unpaid work for the possession of heroin.

Highland Business Research has been looking into the festival, which ran for nine days this year, and its associated economic input.

A map illustrating where some of the Shetland Wool Week participants travelled from in 2016. Photo: Liam Henderson

It estimates that travelling fanatics brought with them £460,000 of spending power along with approximately £70,000 spent by locals, resulting in a total of almost £526,000 of economic activity.

The figures are based on money spent on wool week classes and tours, food and drink, accommodation, transport within Shetland and gifts.

One of the wool week organisers is Misa Hay. She said the findings of the report were “extremely” pleasing.

People are prepared to travel long distances and invest considerably once they are here. MISA HAY

“We have seen a growing interest and enthusiasm for Shetland Wool Week and it is evident that people are prepared to travel long distances and invest considerably once they are here.

“We have been focusing on building up the wool week brand and profile through various marketing activities and in terms of interest for Shetland’s textile industry, the figures speak for themselves. We have over 10,000 followers on Instagram, 12,000 Facebook fans and 22,000 subscribers to the newsletter alone.

“Attending key events such as the Vogue Knitting Live in New York and Edinburgh Yarn Festival have had a beneficial impact, with 40 per cent of attendees coming from outside the UK, many from long haul destinations.”

She said the challenge for the organisers was to continue to improve the “customer experience”.

“It is clear from the feedback that participants rate the organisation of the event as well as the skills and expertise of the tutors, and it is this, together with the location and personal touches that makes for a very special event. We want to continue at this very high level and further develop a really full and diverse programme which appeals to people of all abilities, whether they’re interested in knitting, wool, textile heritage, spinning, weaving or tweed.”

Next year’s festival will take place between 23rd September and 1st October. Submissions for tutors and event providers is 31st January, contact info@shetlandwoolweek.co.uk.

The disgruntled skippers turned up at a meeting of the SIC Harbour Board to find out what was happening after being denied access to their vessels – a barrier having been put up by Malakoff workmen overnight.

Immediately after the meeting the skipper, Peter Reid, Billy Reid and Sidney Johnson, spoke to officials to try and sort out what North Mainland councillor Alastair Cooper said was an “unbelievable situation…..I have never seen the like before in my life”.

Fellow North Mainland councillor Andrea Manson said that the council was “bending over backwards” to try and find a solution to what had become an urgent problem.

Loss of pier comes as a bad blow to the shell fishermen who are now entering the busiest period of the year in the run up to Christmas when processors have put their prices up to guarantee landings.

Aside from being denied access to their boats – though they should be allowed onto the pier to shift them today – all alternative piers are further away, already full up with vessels and some downright dangerous to use in foul weather.

According to infrastructure services director Maggie Sandison, a surveyor’s report received yesterday said that use of the pier had to stop immediately and that insurers had then withdrawn insurance for the pier, meaning the council had no option but to close it immediately.

But the skippers say that they had received notice of closure of the pier 12 days ago and that should have given the council enough time to put a pontoon in place for them to berth at.

Mrs Sandison also told the meeting that as only a fraction of the landings dues that should have been paid had been declared, it had hindered the council from putting together a proper business case for repairing or otherwise finding a solution to replacing the crumbling structure.

`Mr Cooper said that the fishermen and processors were “falling over themselves” to talk to the council, to which Mrs Sandison replied that she had found out much more about the use of the pier since the decision had been made to close it and that the harbour dues received suggested much lighter use than the fishermen were claiming.

“The evidence we had was that it was not that substantial an asset to the industry”, she added.

Engineers and health and safety officials were to look at the possibility of using the Toft linkspan, where the ferry berths, for landing scallops. Mr Cooper also suggested the vessels could use their own cranes to lift scallops onto the arm of the pier. But that still leaves the three vessels, Planet, Craignair and Golden Shore without anywhere to berth.

Mrs Sandison said that that it would be a day or two before a decision could be made on the use of the linkspan, or other arrangements at Toft. A meeting was also to be had with Shetland Fishermen’s Association on Monday.

Another suggestion was to ask Grieg’s Seafood if it would be possible to share their pier at Setterness as a temporary measure. It will be two weeks before the pontoon can be put in place at Toft where it will be used until a more permanent solution is found.

Mr Cooper said after the meeting that in interim solution was needed. “We need to see if we can get a pier tomorrow and for the next couple of weeks until the council can put in a pontoon at Toft to allow the boats to tie up overnight. We need to see if the Toft ferry teraminal can allow the boats to land their scallops every night when they come in.

“Then we need a long-term solution, which is probably going to take a couple of years, to get a new Toft pier. It’s very hard for the industry trying to work and make money for their families in the run-up to Christmas, and then all of a sudden, this morning they cannot win to their work.”

]]>http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/07/boats-stopped-fishing-toft-pier-closed/feed4Young Brae man is named best trainee on the Swanhttp://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/07/young-brae-man-named-best-trainee-swan
http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/07/young-brae-man-named-best-trainee-swan#respondWed, 07 Dec 2016 11:05:15 +0000http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/?p=1089781Swan, is John-Ross Ratter from Sparl, Brae.]]>The 2016 winner of the Swan Trust’s Vevoe Trophy, presented each year to the best trainee sailing on Shetland’s restored herring drifter the Swan, is John-Ross Ratter from Sparl, Brae.

Aubrey Jamieson presents the Vevoe Trophy to sail trainee of the year John-Ross Ratter at the Swan end-of-season party on Saturday. Photo: Michael Simpson

The trophy, a replica of the Swan‘s original wheel and a cold bronze casting of the vessel, were presented to John-Ross by Aubrey Jamieson.

The wheel was commissioned by the Swan Trust following the death of former trustee and Swan crewman Willie Simpson, of Vevoe in Whalsay, in his memory. The Simpson family had a working association with the boat for over 50 years.

Trainees sailing on the Swan who are aged between 15 and 25 are eligible to be considered for the trophy and it is awarded on the recommendation of the boat’s skipper.

John-Ross first began sailing dinghies at Delting Boating Club when he was only eight years old and then progressed to crewing on yachts.

This year on the Swan as part of a Sail Training Shetland crew, he took part in Nordic Sail, a regatta for traditionally rigged vessels which is held annually in early July in the waters of the Kattegatt and Skaggerak.

John-Ross had previously sailed on a trip to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 when the Swan had taken part in a Small Ships Race on the Clyde.

He said: “I really enjoy sailing, especially on the Swan. I really enjoyed being part of the crew on the trip to the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and this year to Denmark, Sweden and Norway to take part in Nordic Sail.

“Both trips gave me amazing opportunities to increase my sailing experience and an understanding of what it must have been like to work on a herring drifter.”

The Swan is currently tied up for the winter but a full sailing season is planned for 2017 which will include cruises to the Hardanger and Sogne Fjords in Norway.

]]>http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/07/young-brae-man-named-best-trainee-swan/feed0WATCH: Tough times ahead for councils, audit commission sayshttp://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/06/tough-times-ahead-councils-audit-comission-says
http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2016/12/06/tough-times-ahead-councils-audit-comission-says#respondTue, 06 Dec 2016 16:55:07 +0000http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/?p=1089775Shetland Islands Council can expect a further period of austerity over the coming years, according to an Audit Scotland report commissioned by the Accounts Commission.

Shetland, along with the Western Isles, remains the local authority with the highest funding per head in Scotland at just over £4,000, compared with Edinburgh whose population receives around £2,400 per head.

But the report warns of a further few years of financial austerity for local authorities, due to a reduction in block grant from Holyrood, while councils rely increasingly on their own revenue raising powers.

The Scottish Government provides around 60 per cent of councils’ total income. Over the past six years, up to and including 2016/17, Scottish Government revenue and capital funding for councils fell by 8.4 per cent in real terms.

Publishing the report last Monday, Audit Scotland said: “Each council has its own particular challenges but all councils face financial shortfalls requiring further savings or using reserves. They need to change the way they work if they are to make the savings needed.”

The report warns that further reductions are expected while demand on key services, particularly social care, continues to rise. Councils also face increased cost pressures in areas such as pension provision.

SIC political leader Gary Robinson says the government will have to pay for fixed links. Photo: Dave Donaldson

The report states: “Councils face tough decisions around their finances that require strong leadership and sound financial management. Long-term financial strategies must be in place to ensure council spending is aligned with priorities.

“Decisions need to be informed by well-developed medium-term financial plans and budget forecasts that allow councillors and officers to assess the impact of approved spending on their longer-term financial position.”

Accounts Commission deputy chairman Ronnie Hinds echoed the concerns of the report, saying: “Councils are generally doing a good job with their finances in difficult circumstances. But pressures continue to increase on a number of fronts at the same time as they face the prospect of further reductions in their funding.

“It’s vital that councillors and officers set medium and long-term financial plans based on clear priorities for the services they provide to their communities”.

That financial reality would appear to deal a further blow to hopes of establishing fixed links between mainland Shetland and Bressay, the North Isles and Whalsay – a subject that was resurrected at a meeting of the association of community councils in October and has been the source of tit for tat correspondence between Whalsay Community Council member William Polson and SIC leader Gary Robinson.

In a letter to SIC chief executive Mark Boden, Mr Polson ties tunnel provision to the building of a fish processing factory and renovation of the harbour, which he says is in dire condition. He also says that council officials should perform a U-turn propose building the fish factory in Whalsay after having previously recommended rejection of the proposal.

The piers in Whalsay are in “imminent danger of collapse” says Mr Polson, while the case for the fish factories is supported by a Highlands and Islands Enterprise report. He also suspects the reasons given by the SIC Director of Development for the dismissal of the project were “erroneous and without foundation”.

According to Mr Polson, in a previous correspondence with Mr Boden, a Norwegian firm is keen to build two fish factories in Whalsay which would bring site rental money plus harbour landing dues to the SIC.

If the harbour was renovated and Whalsay linked by tunnel to mainland Shetland and given the huge fish stocks around the isles, then the isle would boom, according to Mr Polson.

But in replying to Mr Polson, the SIC political leader has stated that the council cannot make that sort of infrastructure investment, which would necessarily rely heavily on loans, without having some sort of guaranteed return on its money.

A meeting of the council’s Environment and Transport Committee on Tuesday heard that fixed links were still on the Scottish Government’s agenda as part of the Stag transport appraisal.

Mr Robinson said later: “The council is still engaged with the Scottish Government about our inter-island links and we have persuaded the Scottish Government to look at fixed links as well as replacing ferries and terminals and I think that really is important. We would be looking to the Scottish Government to, at the veyr least underwrite, if not undertake, the construction of any fixed links to the islands.”

In his correspondence Mr Robinson points out that Faroese tunnels have been paid for by tolls and that these links are far more heavily used than a Whalsay tunnel is likely to be. Meanwhile, the Scottish government has apparently stated it will only make grant money available for ferries and has blocked the use of tolls on any fixed links, thereby removing that source of revenue for such a venture.

He adds: “This leads me on to the wider issue of risk. The technical and financial risks of tunnelling are high. One tunnel near Bergen saw not one but several tunnelling companies fail when, in spite of thorough surveying, unexpected conditions were encountered. Such risk is far too high for Shetland Islands Council to bear. Any project would have to be underwritten, if not undertaken, by government and while I’m not precious about which government, the Scottish Government would seem to me to be the obvious one.

“You’ve stated on numerous occasions that the council rejected an offer of loan funding from the Norwegians – in truth the council has never been in a position to accept an offer – that’s not how it works. It would be strange days indeed if it were the case that anyone could bring an idea to the council and expect them to pay for it on the basis that loan funding was available. The normal rules of procurement dictate that public bodies decide to do something then run a procurement exercise – not the opposite way around.”

Mr Robinson adds that without a guarantee of business from any proposed fish processor it is “a simple fact that the council cannot borrow to invest without a reasonable certainty of return. It may have been different in the past but that’s how it is now.”

Finally, he invites local interests to set up their own business. “Notwithstanding all of the above why, if this is such a good idea, is the council being asked to contribute at all? Apply for a works license and don’t let us hold you back.”

The last two decades have seen the closure of a slew of fish factories in Lerwick and Scalloway, while Europe’s largest pelagic processor, Shetland Catch, relies on much of its supplies from North-east Scottish, Irish and Scandinavian pelagic boats while local vessels land the bulk of their catch to Norwegian factories.